Rhode Island sets the legal blood alcohol content (BAC) limit at 0.08 percent for drivers age 21 and over under R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-27-2. Drivers under 21 face a 0.02 percent zero-tolerance limit. Commercial drivers face a 0.04 percent limit while operating commercial vehicles. Being at or above these thresholds is per se DUI, meaning the prosecution does not need to prove impairment beyond the test result. Below 0.08 you can still be charged with DUI if officer observations, field sobriety tests, and other evidence support impairment.
